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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22573537">Smile</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daniela_is_not_amused/pseuds/Daniela_is_not_amused'>Daniela_is_not_amused</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Finn Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Finn-centric (Star Wars), Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Pilot Poe Dameron, Politics, Protective Finn (Star Wars), Resistance, Stormtrooper Culture, finn is trying, sad finn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 10:20:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22573537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daniela_is_not_amused/pseuds/Daniela_is_not_amused</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>there is a moment in which Finn starts wanting to make people smile.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finn &amp; Leia Organa, Finn &amp; Rey (Star Wars), Poe Dameron &amp; Finn, Poe Dameron &amp; Finn &amp; Rey, Poe Dameron &amp; Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Smile</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>English is not my first language. Not beta-read. All mistakes are mine.</p><p>Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For a good year after the war, Finn shadowed General Organa as she traveled the galaxy, advocating for peace and fighting back against the First Order. The situation was too unstable, he felt, and their politicians might not see it, in their unrelenting optimism that everything would go ahead as planned, but Finn knew what the human mind was capable of. A terrorist plot to assassinate the face of the new peace movement, even is she was Kylo Ren’s mother, was not the most far-fetched possibility. He needed General Organa to be safe.</p><p>But then, as the situation stabilized, with more and more people joining their ranks and entire governments offering them their own men, shadowing General Organa became ineffectual considering she now had half a dozen official bodyguards who might not have been as well-trained as Finn was, but who would protect her with their lives when it came down to it.</p><p>Of course, Finn did not figure that out until she sat him down one evening and told him so. They were staying in one of the many hotels General Organa was spending her evenings in when she wasn't giving speeches, writing foreign affairs’ documents and governing laws from her work office, or going on diplomatic missions.</p><p>"I think you've given enough," she told him. Her hands were calm in her lap, not a single twitch in her body that would give away that she was hesitant about this. "You deserve rest from all of this - no, don't interrupt me. I know what you think. But your mission's over. I'm okay. And yes, probably there will be new missions. There are always missions, I know. But first, I need you to take a break."</p><p> "I don't take breaks," Finn stated.</p><p>"You haven't until now. It's time to start," General Organa countered, voice firm.</p><p>"I don't need anything."</p><p>"Except a mission, I know." General Organa's eyes turned sad.</p><p>Finn hated that he made her, everyone, really, look sad so often these days, like they had no idea what to do with him. People used to look at him differently, but everything changed. Finn didn't like change very much. He'd fought for the one change that had been his ultimate goal, and now that that was done, he had no idea what to do with himself anymore.</p><p>Then, in the blink of an idea, the corners of her lips curled up and even though she still looked a little sad, she also looked mischievous suddenly. "All right. I've thought of a new mission for you," she said, finger up in the air.</p><p>Finn nodded. He was ready.</p><p>"Go to L11," General Organa said. "Poe called a few days ago and it seems he might need your assistance."</p><p>"Poe?" Finn frowned. He couldn't see how Poe would require protection; he wasn't of the combat caliber that Finn himself possessed, but he wasn't defenseless. And Finn couldn't imagine a pilot in a simple simple mission, such as transporting cargo from one place to another, would have any inclination to attempt anything violence-related. "He's on L11?"</p><p>"He's helping to rebuild the colonies with the profits the Resistance made during the last few years," General Organa nodded. "There are also plans for a new colony, but those are still in discussion. He asked if I could recommend someone who could help out with the planning of colony fortification, so that the constructions won't be as vulnerable to attacks from space should another war happen someday."</p><p>Finn's frown deepened. "I have no experience in construction."</p><p>"But you're a quick study, you instinctively know how to protect someone with minimal expenditure but maximum effect, and since Rey has left to train with Luke for a while, I'm sure Poe would love to see an old friend."</p><p>Finn opened his mouth to protest the latter.</p><p>"Don't even," General Organa warned him. "Anyway, it's already settled." She got up off the bed to fetch her laptop. "I'll get you off-earth transport and the required documents for travel, say - in two days? Can you be ready by then?"</p><p>"I - yes," Finn said. She wouldn't understand that he was ready now. He carried his tech with him, and didn't have any other possessions that couldn't be discarded or acquired new quickly.</p><p>"Wonderful. That leaves us all of tomorrow to sightsee, since I'm planning to cancel that dreadful dinner with the vice president's wife after all."</p><p>Finn tilted his head and didn't say anything to that. He'd learned a while ago that telling General Organa she shouldn't do something usually ended with her deviating even more ridiculously from her original plans. So he just nodded and decided to go with it.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The resistance’s estate on L11 was similar to any of the other estates Finn had staked out in the past months protecting high-ranking officials from violent deaths - not that many attempts at assassination had been made, but they had prevented a few one man operations and one small-scale plot. It was a huge building, easily able to hold multiple families.</p><p>He had a duffel bag with his tech and papers, a package General Organa had handed him to give to Poe, another package she'd handed him to give to Poe from Anoat - Finn had no idea when she'd managed to meet with anyone in Anoat, but she tended to have channels and ways Finn hadn't been able to trace yet, which said something about her stealth abilities. He also had a change of clothes and secured firearms, for which General Organa had to expressly request transport forms. Travelling armed was a nuisance these days and the resistance’s soldiers seemed to take guns much more seriously than the First Order did. Finn missed the First Order in moments like these.</p><p>The entry gate opened when he stepped in sight of the hidden cameras, which he'd located before they'd caught him; a few minutes later, Poe was coming towards him, looking happy to see him.</p><p>"You made it!" he said, and Finn almost expected him to throw open his arms for a hug. But Poe knew better, of course. He just gave Finn's arm a little pat and said, "Come on, I'll show you your room. Don't let the other pilots bother you. I picked a room for you in the wing where they're not - I'm there too, by the way, they drive me crazy sometimes, so honestly, if they accidentally get lost, don't hesitate to point a gun at them."</p><p>Finn's eyebrows went up.</p><p>"Sorry, I'm joking. Don't point a gun at them. I forgot how literal you sometimes take things."</p><p>"I don't point guns at civilians as a rule, Poe." Finn told him calmly.</p><p>Poe grinned. "And all right. General Organa's got you well-trained, I see."</p><p>Finn, at this point much better at reading teasing than he'd been while fighting under the First Order’s command, bit the inside of his cheek and decided not to tell Poe that he wasn't all that far off the mark. Except not the way he thought, probably.</p><p>"How have you been?" Poe asked. "Not much has been happening on L11 in terms of war development, but then L11 never was at the center of any of the fights, what with being an economic strong-hold and export hotspot. Still, that makes it all the better for structural redevelopment."</p><p> He babbled on, telling Finn more about the situation on the other colonies; it was just common news, nothing of interest, and Finn pondered for a moment whether he was bothered by that, and decided that he wasn't. As they walked down the hallways, opening doors and entering new floors, Finn listened with half an ear for important information as he catalogued the layout of the building and all entry and exit ways as a map in his head.</p><p>"And then we decided maybe we shouldn't take Duo to that art gallery; I'm not sure how, but I'm sure he could have smuggled out a few of those priceless pre-colony paintings in his pants. So we went to the zoo instead. He liberated a few of the chinchillas. It wasn't fun."</p><p>"You saw Duo?" Finn blinked.</p><p>Poe gave him another grin. "You weren't listening to a word I said."</p><p>"I was listening. I just..."</p><p>"I get it, don't worry. New environment, I'm talking too much and none of it mission-relevant. We're here, by the way." Poe threw open a door and let him step inside.</p><p>It was a lovely room, spacious and - Finn went to the window to check - up on the first floor, not too high up to jump out the window if one had to, but high enough to be impossible to climb up to via wall, since there were no holds outside. He would hear any other suspicious noises that would alert him to intruders. The bed was big and looked comfortable.</p><p>"You can take the afternoon to get settled, rest a bit," Poe offered.</p><p>Finn stared at him.</p><p> "... or not." </p><p>"I'm fine," Finn told him.</p><p>"The flight -"</p><p>"- was fine." </p><p>"All right." Poe looked dubious for a moment, then shrugged. "If you're sure. In that case, we can go downstairs and get some food, and then you can scrounge up detail on the place."</p><p>Finn nodded. "You don't want to tag along?"</p><p>Poe smirked. "I know my way around the place."</p><p>Finn narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"I'd just get in your way," Poe told him more seriously this time. "Take your time. I can assure you the place is safe, but I get it, your own eyes et cetera. There's quite a bit of security around the estate though, so don't sneak up on any of them, don't catch them by surprise, and don't take down my men, will you? They're good men."</p><p>"Hm," Finn said.</p><p>"But first, you've probably not eaten yet. So let's go eat."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Finn slept surprisingly well that night, considering it was his first night in an admittedly well-secured, but still unfamiliar environment. When the sun rose, he woke, five and a half hours of sleep, more rest than he usually got. Unlike the afternoon before, when the building had been buzzing with movement and voices, inhabited by politicians and staff and project assistants and security, there was an eerie silence lying over the estate now.</p><p>He showered quickly, dressed in work-out clothes and headed downstairs. Poe's room was strategically placed so that anyone exiting the wing had to pass his door, and when Finn slipped by, it opened, revealing Poe, alert-looking and unsurprised to see Finn.</p><p>"I was wondering if you still adhered to your old workout routine," he greeted.</p><p>Finn nodded.</p><p>"Sounds like a good challenge. If you don't mind, I'll join you. Fair warning, though, I'm terribly out of shape."</p><p>It was a surprise, but a welcome one. Finn was used to a solitary workout these days. Most normal, non-past-stormtrooper humans just couldn't keep up, no matter how hard they tried. And since Poe had left to L-11, there hadn't been anyone of challenging strength willing to spar regularly.</p><p>"But first," Poe interrupted his thoughts, "coffee."</p><p>Finn blinked.</p><p>"C'mon. Nothing works without coffee. Ten minutes."</p><p>The time estimate turned out to be true, unlike with General Organa, who about once a week asked to supervise Finn's work-out. On those days, she impeded his schedule quite a bit because while she was enthusiastic about learning about his training as a stormtrooper, she was also slow and, well, <em> old </em> and she had a terrible habit of saying she needed a minute break that turned into fifteen of her talking on the phone because of an emergency. Poe used his ten minutes to drink his coffee while also stretching and chatting happily about today's plans.</p><p>And then they took off.</p><p>The run was good. The property behind the estate was wide and almost tropical-like in its architecture, grassy slopes and forests up and down steep hills, little rivers crisscrossing the fields. It was built like an obstacle course, and Finn realized that it was an obstacle course, and one Poe knew a lot better than Finn did. Additionally, Poe had always been the pilot with the highest endurance ability of them all, so it was no surprise when he beat Finn out on the final stretch home, over an hour later.</p><p>They were panting, immediately dropped into stretches and then from those to a light sparring, hand-to-hand, Finn attacking with precise, slightly uncoordinated movements while Poe showed off his impeccable technique.</p><p>Afterwards, when they were done, Poe let himself fall into the soft grass, breathing deeply, face shining with sweat and his smile, sun beating down onto them, warming their skin. Finn hesitated only for a moment before he let himself sit down next to him.</p><p>It had been a good idea, he realized. Sometimes, it surprised him how much better General Organa knew him than he did himself. Not in all things, but in some, especially regarding his needs. He had needs, and even some wants, now and then, but he never indulged them unless he was forced to. General Organa pointed that out often enough, always accompanied by that sad look Finn didn't like to see in her eyes.</p><p>"I'm glad you're here," Poe said into the silence, running his hand over his hair, eyes closed against the sun.</p><p>Finn stared down at him, and couldn't quite place the blossoming sensation in his chest at the words. He just knew he was glad to be here, too. He didn't have a time-estimate on the project Poe was planning, and possibly, a fire or emergency on Earth would call him back sooner than later, or maybe Poe would grow sick of him soon; but he had the sudden hope that he would be able to stay a while longer, maybe, because he didn't think he'd ever been actively glad to be anywhere, and that was probably what General Organa had meant with a break.</p><p>Poe was smiling.</p><p>Finn watched him, fingers curling in the grass; he swallowed against the tightness in his throat and hoped that meant he was on his way to no longer making people sad.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feedback is appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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